RWBY: The Black Cat and the Golden Dragon
by The Pyromancer
Summary: For every fairy tale that a hero arrives in time to save the innocent, there's a reality where they fail. Qrow fails to arrive in time to save Yang from the Grimm. But this doesn't need to be the end. A flash of light, a sleeping Ruby, but no Grimm and no Yang. Qrow seeks out Raven for help finding her. Meanwhile, Blake finds a dragon girl washed up on the shore of Menagerie.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own RWBY. There would've been a lot more gay confessions a lot earlier if I did.

 **Author's note:** Like always, thank you to BlindSeer0 for editing.

* * *

 **RWBY: The Black Cat and the Golden Dragon**

* * *

Taiyang rushed into his office at Signal Academy, slamming the doors a little too hard, making them creak against the bolts holding them to the wall. The first thing his gaze fell upon was the sleepy form of his youngest daughter, Ruby. She was coming awake, rubbing her eyes with one hand and clutching her favorite red blanket in the other. He realized that his loud entrance had awoken her but right now he was just focused on the feeling of relief that flooded into him seeing her alive and unharmed.

"Ruby!" he said, rushing over to her, scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight to him. "You're okay!"

Ruby stirred slightly in his embrace. "Daddy…your beard itches…"

"Sorry," he replied, reluctantly allowing her some distance from his beard, but still holding her tightly in his arms. He looked around the room for his oldest daughter but instead of her golden hair glinting in the light coming through his window, he instead saw only his brother in-law and fellow teacher, Qrow, sitting on the floor leaned against his desk, a half-finished bottle of some amber colored liquor in his hand. "Qrow, where's Yang?"

Qrow didn't immediately answer. Instead, he lifted his bottle up to Tai in a type of salute before taking a large drink. When he was done drinking, he finally responded. "For every fairy tale where a hero arrives in time to save the innocent, there's a reality where he fails. It turns out that reality bites."

Tai felt dread fill him once more. "What happened?"

"It seems Yang went looking for Raven. Thought she had a clue or something I guess. She took Ruby along because hey, she couldn't just leave her little sister alone at home unprotected, could she? Well, she found something alright, Grimm. Or maybe they found her. I figured out something was wrong and realized where she'd gone so I chased after her. Well, I was late, but I got there in time to find Ruby, sleeping like nothing had happened and Yang…"

Qrow took another drink and Tai could only gape in horror. "Qrow, her body?"

Qrow gestured wildly, sending some of his drink flying to land in the carpet at Tai's feet. "Gone! Gotten by the Grimm."

Tai frowned. "That makes no sense. The Grimm don't eat bodies, they eat fear."

"No body. No Grimm either. Gone in a flash before I got there. Just Ruby and the shack. Couldn't even get revenge."

"Maybe she wandered off?" asked Tai, reaching for straws. He knew that even at her most reckless Yang wouldn't leave Ruby lying around, but he had to hope for a miracle.

Qrow shook his head. "Of course I looked. I picked up Ruby and searched the whole area! Nothing. No Grimm, no Yang, no sign of what caused the flash…"

"Wait, what flash?"

"The golden flash that led me to Ruby." Another drink.

"Stop drinking for a minute and explain for a minute," said Tai, feeling frustrated.

Qrow glared at Tai for a moment but reached up and put the bottle on top of the desk behind him. "I was running through the forest, there was a light, there was Ruby and there were no Grimm, and there was no Yang. She was nowhere."

"Could it have been another Huntsman?"

"No one around," insisted Qrow. "And why would they leave Ruby?"

"Why would the Grimm leave Ruby?" countered Tai. An idea occurred to him. "Could it have been Raven? She can sense when people she's linked to are in danger. She'd know to come rescue Yang."

Qrow shook his head. "It's not the same feel as her semblance. It's not a flash of golden light. This was too bright for her."

"But too bright for the Grimm also," said Tai. "Could Yang's semblance have activated? We don't know what it is yet, but a situation like this could have triggered it."

Qrow's eyes widened as he considered that for a moment. "Yang's semblance…A bright, golden light..." He stood up quickly, staggering slightly, knocking over his bottle, and pouring it all onto the floor. "Raven would've saved her. She's not that far gone. If she didn't, she would've killed me. I'm alive, there was a flash, so Yang, she must be alive. And I know how to find her."

He started stumbling towards the door. Tai frowned at him. "Where are you going?"

Qrow turned to look at Tai, a smile on his face. "I've going to find Raven. She'll either have Yang or be able to take me right to her."

"Do you know where Raven is?"

"No. But I have some ideas. I'll find her. I'll bring Yang back home."

"Raven might not want to let her go when she finds out what happened," pointed out Tai. Ruby had fallen asleep again against his chest. He hugged her tighter to him again. "Please, bring my sunny little dragon home to us."

Qrow gave Tai a sloppy salute. "Will do. I won't let anything stop me."

And then he bent over and threw up all over Tai's carpet.

* * *

Blake walked along the coast of Menagerie, the waves lapping up against the sandy beach. She had her shoes off and was enjoying the water washing over her feet. She'd read a story book the other day about cats hating water, but she loved the water. Maybe the writers had never met a cat from Menagerie?

Blake forgot the story as her mind started to wander once more. She stared out across, the ocean, the sun starting to set and casting beautiful colors across the surface of the water and the clouds in the sky. In a little while she'd finally be travelling across that ocean for the first time. Her father and mother were finally allowing her to accompany them on a White Fang rally in Mistral. She was excited for the opportunity, even if she wasn't entirely sure yet why they were doing so. She'd helped her mother make more signs than she could count. To be fair, it was a smaller number than she would've liked. Numbers frustrated her more than words. But regardless, it was still a lot of signs.

A flash of light lit up the horizon, forcing Blake to turn away slightly. She thought it was just the water reflecting the sunlight, but the light didn't fade as the sun moved down into the horizon. Instead, Blake realized that something else was causing the flash of light. Something bright was falling towards the water. Forcing herself to look and track the light, Blake was wide eyed as she realized that the light was falling _towards_ her.

The light crashed into the water creating a large splash of water that rained down all over Blake and the beach around her. When the raining stopped the water was still rippling slightly but the light was gone. She squinted a bit and let out a gasp as she saw golden hair floating in the water. Every push of the waves moved the form closer to Blake. Looking around quickly to see if anyone else was around, and finding no one, Blake ran out into the water. She pushed through the waves, her small body almost being knocked over by the massive waves, but she finally made it to the floating figure that had been inching it's way closer to her.

Now that she was next to the figure she could see for a fact that it was a person, a young girl, laying on her back, eyes closed, and golden hair splayed out in the water around her. Blake didn't spend much more time looking at the girl as a panic filled her. She grabbed onto the girl and dragged her through the water and onto the beach. It became harder as she traded water for sand, but she just readjusted her grip under the girl's arm pits and dragged her further up past the edge of the waves. Once she had dragged the girl to a point that seemed safe she let go, looking around once more for help, finding none.

Panic filled her, and Blake closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths to calm herself like she'd seen her father do when he got worked up over something. As she did so, her cat ears picked up the gentle sounds of the waves and the sounds of birds flying overhead. She focused on those sounds and felt herself calming down as she tried to figure out what to do next.

As she listened and tried to think, a new sound reached her ears. She focused on the sound and realized it was slow, ragged breathing. She opened her eyes and saw the source of the sound. The girl in front of her was breathing, her chest rising and falling slowly. Blake let out a small cheer, glad to find that the girl was not dead. Some of the panic started to leave her and she finally noticed that the girl was wearing a sleeveless dress that was soaked with sea water. Her arms were visible, and Blake was slightly surprised to see that one of the girl's arms was different from the other. Starting from slightly above the elbow the girl's arm was covered in golden scales and ended in claws that reminded Blake of a picture from a book her mother had read to her several days ago.

"A dragon," muttered Blake in awe. She realized now that the golden-haired girl must be a dragon Faunus. She'd never seen one before, but she knew they must exist. With one last worried look and renewed urgency, Blake ran back to her house, running through the familiar trees until she made it to the road that led to the chieftain's house. Her home.

She ran up the front steps of the house. "Dad! Dad!" she yelled, running along the side of the house, hoping her father was where he usually was at this time of day, in his office. "Dad!"

A sliding door slammed open and a large form leaned out, looking around until he saw her. "Blake!" yelled her father, looking right at her, confusion on his face. "Why are you yelling?"

Blake ran right up to her father, stopping short of running into him, and breathed heavily. "Dad," she repeated. "On the beach. I found a girl."

"A girl on the beach?" asked her father.

"I think she's hurt," pleaded Blake, looking up at her father, her ears flattening against her head, tears misting her eyes as panic started to flood her once more. "You need to help her."

Her father's expression changed from confused to serious and he reached down without saying anything and scooped up Blake in his arms. She protested slightly but held on as tight as she could when he lifted her onto his back. "We'll go immediately. Show me where."

"To the beach," said Blake, pointing in the direction she'd come from.

Her father moved quickly around the side of the house, down the stairs Blake had just climbed and then he started to run through the jungle. With each large step he easily covered ground Blake had struggled to run through. Very soon they were out of the jungle and on the beach. They were slightly off from where the girl lay, and Blake pointed to where she could see the girl still laying. "Over there!"

Her father ran the rest of the distance over to the girl and knelt next to her, examining her. "Who is this?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. "I don't recognize her."

"She fell from the sky into the water," said Blake, looking down over her father's shoulder at the golden-haired girl. "She's a golden dragon Faunus."

Her father shook his head slightly, gently shaking Blake with it. "There's no such thing as a dragon Faunus."

* * *

Raven whipped her sword back and forth sharply, shaking off the last shadowy remnants of a Beowolf she'd just cut to pieces. Her day had not gone as planned. What should've been a simple raid on a settlement had gone horribly wrong very quickly. Her scouts had _sworn_ to her that there were no Grimm in the area and they'd be able to be long gone before any arrived. Grimm were not part of the plan, but like any raid the best laid plans were hard pressed to hold up in execution.

They'd almost finished raiding the small village for everything it was worth, having managed to leave most of the inhabitants alive, when everything had gone wrong. A hive of Lancers had been hibernating near by and had been awakened by the activity. They'd attacked the raiders, forcing them to defend themselves in the very village they'd been attacking. If that wasn't enough, right as they were finishing the Lancers a Beowolf pack had arrived, the one they'd been trying to leave before encountering. If there was anything to be grateful for it's that there hadn't been a Queen Laner among the insectile Grimm.

Raven turned and looked at her remaining raiders. "Let's get out of here!" They reacted quickly, knowing that if they waited too long they could easily have more Grimm to worry about. They'd be drawn to the fear and despair in the village and not stop until it was torn apart. It was just how things went. She didn't plan for them to be there when it happened though.

Once they were back at their base, mostly safe and sound, Raven focused on her semblance. She could open portals to those she had a link to and combined with that ability was a sixth sense that warned her when one of those people were in danger. It wasn't exact, she didn't know who was in danger or what the danger was, she just knew when it was life threatening. This sense had gone off in the middle of the raid, but she hadn't had time to stop and check while fighting off Grimm.

So now she focused, running through the people it could've been. Qrow and Taiyang were both Huntsman so it was never surprising when they were in danger, but as she focused on each in turn she felt that they were currently fine. Both alive. She then quickly checked on the signature of her daughter, Yang. She was alive, and not in danger, if she ever had been.

Raven gave a small sigh. Everyone was alive, and no one was in danger. Either her stupid brother was risking his life for Ozpin again, or she'd mistaken the feeling while in the heat of the battle. It wouldn't be the first time for either. She had important duties to attend to, she couldn't waste any more time on frivolous worry.

* * *

Blake rode on her father's back once more as he quickly carried the Golden Dragon Girl back to their home. Their home became a hive of activity when Ghira burst through the front doors with the girl in his arms. Blake had explained to her mother, and some of the other leaders of the White Fang who were staying there to prepare for upcoming rallies, what was happening. While she did so her father had placed the girl in a guest bed, covered her, and then ran off to find a doctor. He'd come back quickly with one of the local doctors, a bat Faunus who was still waking up for the night.

The doctor started to examine the dragon girl, spending considerable time examining her arm. She took constant notes and had Blake's father assisting her. She asked lots of questions, even having Blake answer some. Blake tried to stay out of the doctor's way, but she couldn't help from hovering nearby, watching her work, and watching over the dragon girl.

When the doctor was finally done with her examination, she gave a sigh, absently wiping her hands on her jacket out of habit. "This is all very strange," she said. "This girl is in a coma, but otherwise seems fine. No cuts, no bruises. She's just, not awake. My guess would be an overexertion of aura, but she seems too young to be using aura to the extent that that could happen." She turned to Blake at that. "I'd guess she's around your age."

"Really?" asked Blake, her eyes going wide with excitement. "How long will she be sleeping?"

"Well," started the doctor, her expression grave. "I don't know."

Blake frowned. "Why not?"

Ghira sighed and knelt, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Blake, a coma means that she could be sleeping for a long time."

"But when will she wake up?" asked Blake, still slightly confused.

"She might never wake up," explained the doctor. "But I'm going to do everything I can to help her wake up. I have some ideas and colleagues in the other kingdoms who may be able to help."

Blake tilted her head, slightly confused by the explanation. "Is there anything I can do?"

The Doctor smiled gently. "I've heard that talking to people while they're asleep can sometimes help them wake up. If you wouldn't mind keeping her company, maybe read her a story every so often, it would be a huge help."

"Really?" asked Blake, excitedly. The doctor nodded. "I'm going to get all of my favorite books!" Blake rushed out of the room quickly. She ran past her mother who was making tea and talking with their guests. She burst into her room and picked up several of the thin fairy tales and picture books her parents had gotten her. She frowned over the picture books for a second, wondering if you could see pictures in a coma, but decided that she could always tell the dragon girl what the picture looked like if needed.

Blake ran back to the guest room, her arms now full of books. She almost ran into one of their guests who was pacing, tea cup in hand. Apologizing quickly, she went to run around them, but she saw her mother's scolding glare and continued towards the guest room at a walk.

As Blake approached the room her cat ears twitched slightly, catching the low mutter of voices from inside the room.

"-what happened," said a voice Blake recognized as her father.

"It's all really strange, but maybe someone at one of the academies will know what happened," replied the doctor.

"I doubt any of the academies will be willing to assist some Faunus on Menagerie."

"Even Beacon?"

"I never know where Beacon will fall when helping us or not. I'd rather not count on them."

"She's clearly not from Menagerie though," commented the doctor. "I've never seen a Faunus like this."

"She can't be human, not with that arm," said Blake's father.

"Maybe she's from a rare group of Faunus? It's not like we know every mystery in the world."

"She could be," agreed Ghira. "I think it would be smartest to go by that assumption. I can have someone research whether there's any truth or possibility of it."

"And Menagerie isn't safe for human's right now. They've used up all of their goodwill."

Blake heard her father sigh. "It wouldn't be safe for _us_ if she was human either. Could you imagine the fallout if a missing human girl was discovered in Menagerie with an arm like this? They'd accuse us of running experiments on their children, and that would be the final excuse they'd need to justify anything they want."

"If it's experiments that caused this than I would put some Lien on Atlas being behind it. Not that they would ever admit it. And I don't know how we'd manage to discover something like that. It's probably just safer to assume she's from a rare group of Faunus and go from there."

"Let me know if you discover anything and I can send you any assistants or assistance you need."

"I appreciate it. This is a fascinating situation and I want to learn more. It's a shame that something like this happened to a girl this young. Her family must be so worried for her."

"I know I would be," agreed Ghira.

Blake clutched her books tighter to her chest, wondering if it was okay for her to enter the room or not. Her father and the doctor seemed to be done talking, but part of her felt guilty for listening in to the conversation. Part of her was annoyed that they were talking about the dragon girl right next to her. The doctor had just told her that she could hear things said, did grown-ups never listen to themselves?

After a moment of indecision Blake decided she needed to keep the dragon girl company so she walked into the room. She looked at the doctor. "Can I start reading to her?"

The doctor smiled at her. "Yes, I think I'm done here." She turned to Blake's father. "I'll let you know if I discover anything."

Ghira nodded. "And if anything changes with her we'll let you know immediately." The doctor nodded and left. Ghira turned to Blake. "I'm going to go apologize to our guests for the interruption. You can read one story to her and then you'll need to go to sleep. It's getting late."

Blake puffed her cheeks out in frustration. "But the doctor said I need to care for her."

"One. Story," commanded Ghira, his voice firm, but with a proud smile on his face. "She's not going anywhere, and you can read to her tomorrow." With that he walked out of the room.

Blake huffed a bit more before turning excitedly to the sleeping dragon girl. She sat down on a chair next to the bed that opened on of the books on her lap. She started to speak to the sleeping girl. "I'm Blake Belladonna," she greeted. "I hope you can wake up soon and tell me your name. I was going to read one of my favorite stories to you. It's about a Bandit Queen who fights Grimm and can transform into a raven. I wish I could meet someone like that…"

* * *

Qrow took a sip of his beer, putting the mug back on the counter a little harder than he should've. The young bartender cleaning a glass eyed him.

"So, what's your story?" asked the bartender.

Qrow looked up at him, smirking. "What makes you think I have a story?"

The bartender gave a short laugh. "Everyone has a story. But beyond that, you just have that look. Plus, you're downing those beers like there's no tomorrow. Or you're running from something."

Qrow took another sip. "More like I'm running towards someone."

The bartender raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh? Got a lover or something?"

"No one and nothing like that," Qrow said dismissively. "A reunion. With my sister."

"You don't sound too thrilled about it."

"I'm not. Haven't seen her for years. Not sure she won't just kill me on sight."

The bartender gave another short laugh. "And I thought my family was bad. What're you visiting her for then?"

Qrow took another slip, although slower this time. "I need her help fixing a mistake."

"Well, I hope you have good luck with your meeting."

"I've got a while to prepare myself," said Qrow with a laugh.

"If you need someone to help you relax tonight, my shift ends in an hour," said the bartender with a wink.

Qrow eyed the young man once more, deciding he could do much worse. He smirked. "I think I'll take you up on that offer.

* * *

Several days had passed and Blake had tried everything she could think of to wake the dragon girl. She'd read all her stories to her. She talked to her about life on Menagerie. She'd asked her questions in an attempt to get answers. She'd even tried to sing to the girl. She'd blushed in embarrassment the whole time. Things hadn't been made better by her mother suddenly clapping from the doorway, a bright smile on her face.

But none of her ideas had worked. The doctor had come back several times and declared the girl perfectly healthy, but hadn't been able to wake her up. Her father and mother had helped her to take care of the dragon girl, but had to spend most of their time dealing with organizing the White Fang and keeping Menagerie functioning.

Currently, Blake sat by the girl, several precarious stacks of books on the floor around her. She'd just finished reading a storybook and deposited it on top of one of the book piles. She let out a small sigh. "Why won't you wake up?" she asked, looking over at the girl. They'd gotten her clean clothes, lending her some of Blake's. The girl was slightly shorter than Blake, so the clothes were a little long on her. Her golden hair was long and curly, and Blake had secretly run her hand along it when no one was looking.

Even more fascinating to her was the dragon girl's arm. The golden scales glittered whenever they caught the light. The scales didn't end in a solid band but instead the scales tapered off the further up it went. A few lone scales connected to no other scales but stood out against pale white skin.

Blake could hear her parents talking about White Fang business in the other room. Some problem had come up and everyone had angry or worried expressions on their faces. Blake's father spent a lot of time yelling in frustration, her mother trying to calm him down. Through the window, she could see the sun setting outside, the light reflecting off the ocean. Getting out of her chair she smoothed out the folds of her dress and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. The bed was large, meant for a pair of grown-ups, which made the dragon girl look small in comparison.

As she sat next to her, Blake was mystified by the amount of heat that radiated off the dragon girl. It was like sitting next to a stone that had been gently soaking in the heat of the sun all day. With the light, and warmth, of the day fading away outside, Blake felt herself drawn to that warmth. She also felt increasingly sleepy. She tried to keep her eyes open, but her lids started to feel heavy. With nothing to do and the welcoming warmth of the bed, Blake found herself curling up above the covers of the bed, falling into a gentle sleep next to the dragon girl.

* * *

Yang struggled to walk forward. Her small legs felt heavy, but she continued to move forward. She knew she had to. Behind her, the wagon carrying Ruby squeaked on wheels that needed some oiling. The arm pulling the wagon felt like it had to strain to keep her grip on the handle, her palm sweaty around it. But still, she moved forward, knowing that if she did, she'd find what she was looking for.

In her free hand she held tightly onto a piece of paper, a map to her destination. She'd long given up consulting it, the dark forest around her looking the same every way she looked. But she didn't want to get rid of the paper, it was her only hint to her goal, even if it wasn't able to help her at that moment.

After what felt like forever, Yang emerged from the dark forest into a small clearing. In the center of the clearing she saw a small shack. The shack looked really sad to her. The building was made of weathered wood, paint torn off by age and scored with claw marks. All of the windows were busted, and the front door hung loosely on a busted hinge. The inside was dark, no light glimmering to invite her inside. A mewling noise reached her, and she noticed a black cat standing on top of the shack. Its golden eyes met Yang's and the cat fled down the back of the shack out of view.

The shack didn't look like the type of place Yang would find what she was looking for, but it was still the same place as the picture she'd seen. She slowly walked across the clearing, the wagon squeaking behind her. She spared a glance over her shoulder and saw Ruby bundled up in her large red blanket, only her calm, sleeping face visible.

A creaking noise came from the shack and Yang stopped, turning to look. She didn't see anyone in the darkness of the shack. "Hello?" asked Yang, her voice unsure. She waited for a moment, but no one replied.

Another creak. "Is someone there?"

A third creak, and light finally appeared in the darkness of the shack. Burning red eyes stared out at her, a soft growl reached her ears. Yang took a step back. Another creak, the eyes moving closer. She took another step back. The creature emerged from the dark shack, the form of a large Beowolf. The Grimm's red eyes stared at her from underneath it's white bone mask. Before Yang could attempt to run or take another step back, the Beowolf leapt at her.

Yang only had time to raise her right arm up in front of her and scream. "Mom!" There was a blinding pain and the world flashed white.

* * *

Yang sat up quickly, screaming. "Mom!" She barely had time to register that she was in an unfamiliar bed and room before a door slammed open. A woman Yang didn't recognize stood in the doorway, looking right at her.

The woman's eyes went wide before she yelled over her shoulder. "Ghira. Come quick. She's awake," yelled the woman. She hurried over to the bed Yang was laying on, moving around to her side. "How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" asked Yang, still feeling disoriented. She only vaguely realized that the woman fussing over her had black cat ears on the top of her head.

"There's no need to worry," assured the woman. "You're safe. You're on Menagerie."

"Menagerie?" asked Yang, struggling to pronounce the word. She thought for a moment, fighting the fog in her mind to remember why that word sounded familiar. After a moment she remembered it as the place her father had taught her was were the Faunus lived. He'd shown her where it was on a map, pointing out where it was compared to their home. They had been very far apart. "This… this isn't Patch?"

"Patch?" asked the woman, sounding confused. Before anything else could be said, a large man, also with black cat ears on his head, rushed into the room. The woman turned to him. "Ghira, there you are."

The man, Ghira, looked at Yang and gave her a toothy smile. "It's good to see you're awake young one. You've been asleep for quite a while?" Ghira looked down at something next to Yang, chuckling slightly. "Of course, she chooses this moment to sleep. She's been waiting for you to wake up for days."

Yang followed Ghira's gaze and saw a girl curled up next to her. Cat ears twitched slightly on the girl's head as she slept. Ghira reached out and gently shook the girl. "Blake, wake up."

As he tried to wake up the sleeping girl, the woman spoke again, drawing Yang's attention. "You said Patch, is that where you're from?"

Yang shook her head. "Yes. It is."

The girl next to her finally budged, sitting up sleepily. "What's up dad?" she asked, looking at Ghira.

Ghira pointed past Blake, smiling. "Look over there."

Blake turned around and looked right at Yang. Yang saw her golden eyes widen in surprise and a large smile sprung onto her face. The next thing Yang knew she was being enveloped in a tight hug by the Faunus girl. "You're awake," said Blake excitedly. She broke from the hug. "I was worried you'd never awaken."

"Blake," said Ghira. "Give the girl some space. She's probably very confused right now."

Blake let go. "Sorry. She's very warm."

Yang smiled awkwardly, still not sure what was going on. "My sister says the same thing." Something occurred to Yang and she looked around the room. "Where's my sister? Where's Ruby?"

Blake frowned. "I only saw you fall from the sky."

"The sky?" asked Yang, frowning. She struggled to order her thoughts. "I was in the forest. Ruby was with me. A Grimm attacked. Then, my arm…" Yang looked at her arm and saw golden scales. She brought her other hand around to feel the scales, panic filling her. It wasn't a covering, it was her arm. "Wh- What is this?"

"Your arm?" asked Blake.

"Blake," started Ghira. "I think the girl needs some time could you plea-"

Yang didn't let him finish. Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she was finally overcome with a torrent of emotions. "What's going on?" yelled Yang. "where's my sister? Where am I? What happened to my arm?"

Blake pulled Yang into a sudden hug again. She didn't fight it, she didn't have the energy to do so. She felt a second pair of arms wrap around her as the woman leaned in also. "There, there," said the woman soothingly, her voice calming Yang down a little. "It will be okay. We are going to figure out what happened and return you to your family. Would you like to rest some more before we talk?"

Yang wanted to continue talking. She wanted to know the answers to her questions as soon as possible. But she also felt tired, weak. Her stomach growled.

The woman released her. "I'll go get you some food. You haven't eaten for a while. Once you eat, then we can talk, if you're up for it."

Yang could only nod and mutter, "okay."

"I'll go do that right away," said the woman. As she was leaving, Ghira spoke up.

"Kali, could you also ask our other guests if they wouldn't mind calling it for tonight. I want to make sure we have all of this sorted out before anything else."

Kali nodded. "I can do that. I'm sure they'll understand."

When she was gone, Ghira turned back to them and frowned. "Blake, I think you can let go now."

Blake seemed to realize she was still hugging Yang and let go quickly, blushing. "Sorry dad."

"How are you feeling?" asked Ghira. Yang thought for a moment. She'd stopped shaking and was only sniffling occasionally. Blake held up the blanket and Yang wiped her eyes using it.

"I'm so confused…" muttered Yang.

"Don't worry," said Ghira. "We'll figure everything out." He pointed to himself and then Blake. "I'm Ghira Belladonna, this is my daughter Blake. The woman who just left is my wife, Kali."

"What's your name?" asked Blake.

"I'm Yang. Yang Xiao Long."

Ghira thought for a moment. "Xiao Long. I don't recognize that name."

"Did you fall while flying?" asked Blake.

Yang frowned. "Flying?"

"Yeah. You fell from the sky into the ocean. I saw. I got you out. Can dragon Faunus fly?"

"Dragon Faunus?" asked Yang.

"Your arm," pointed out Ghira gently, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "What type of Faunus are you?"

Yang shook her head. "I'm not a Faunus. I'm human," replied Yang. She looked at her arm. "I don't know why my arm is like that. I remember the Grimm attacking, and I felt my arm get hurt. Then I woke up here…"

"A human," muttered Ghira. "Three days ago, Blake pulled you out of the ocean. I brought you back here. We haven't heard anything about anyone looking for a human girl, but we're far away from most civilization, it's not surprising we haven't heard anything here. Where are you from?"

"Patch."

Ghira's eyes widened. "That's no where near Menagerie. Did you get carried away by a Nevermore?"

Yang shook her head. "I just remember a Beowolf…"

"There's no need to worry too much," assured Ghira. "We'll figure out what happened."

Blake turned to look at her father. "I told you what happened. I saw a flash of light, Yang fell from the sky and crashed into the water. The light brought her here!"

"That doesn't explain what brought her here," said Ghira. "Something, like a Grimm or a ship had to have brought her this way."

"It could've been magic," replied Blake.

"Magic doesn't exist," said Ghira.

"But what if it did?"

Ghira thought about that for a moment. "Then I wouldn't know where to start." He looked at Yang. "Now that we know where you're from, we can send some messages and contact your family."

"What about my sister?" asked Yang.

Ghira shook his head. "We didn't see her, but that could mean that she didn't get caught up in whatever brought you here. I'll make sure to ask after her when trying to find your family."

Kali came back in carrying a tray of food. She placed the tray down on the nightstand next to Yang. "Here's some food." She looked at Ghira and Blake. "You two give our guest some space now. Blake, it's dark out, go get ready for bed."

"But I'm not sleepy," insisted Blake, yawning slightly.

Ghira put a large hand on his daughter's head, ruffling her hair. "Listen to your mother now. Yang needs her space."

"Fine," said Blake, getting off of the bed.

"Ghira, could you get Blake to bed now?" asked Kali. "Our guest still needs to eat and time to process everything before you continue asking her questions."

Ghira looked like he was about to protest but instead he just steered Blake out of the room. Once the door was closed behind them, Kali turned to Yang, a smile on her face. "You should eat up. You need to regain your strength."

Yang picked up a bowl from the tray Kali had brought earlier and felt her mouth watering at the smell of fish soup coming from the bowl. Unable to resist anymore she picked up the spoon and started eating as fast as she could. The food was delicious.

"Careful now," urged Kali. "You don't want to burn your mouth."

Yang stopped eating for a minute, finally noticing the steam rising from the half-eaten bowl of soup. She took another steaming spoonful and ate it without blowing on it. Her mouth was fine. She looked over at a concerned Kali. "What am I?"

"Hungry," replied Kali, drawing a chuckle from Yang. "And lost, but we will find your family. We're here to help."

Yang felt tears coming to her eyes, but she wiped them away. "Thank you."

Kali smiled. "It's no problem dear. Just eat, rest, and get better."

Yang didn't argue. Still hungry she continued to eat her soup, although slower this time. She wondered about what had happened to her. If Ruby was okay, and if anyone was looking for her. She hoped they were.

* * *

Qrow ducked underneath a fist and responded with an uppercut to the thug's jaw. The thug went flying and crashed through a table, shattering it into several pieces. The bartender, a different one than the one that had kept Qrow company several days prior, let out a yell. "Stop destroying my bar!"

Qrow thumbed over at one of the still standing thugs behind him. "Tell that to these guys. I was just looking for some information and they attacked me. I'd be fine with a peaceful resolution if they'll tell me what I want to know."

The thug behind Qrow answered his offer with a yell and charged at him. Qrow just stepped to the side and the thug tripped on a fallen mug, causing him to tumble end over end onto the one Qrow had knocked out earlier.

Qrow looked over at the seventh and last thug. "Well?"

The man looked like he was about to piss his pants. He held up his hands. "Look, we don't want any more trouble."

"Then tell me why you attacked me when I was asking if anyone knew where Raven Branwen is?"

"You were talking badly about the boss."

Qrow took out his weapon and clicked a button. The sword whirred and transformed into a wicked looking scythe. "Oh? Please do tell me more. Where can I find your 'boss?'"

* * *

The following morning, Blake was just finishing getting dressed for the day. There was a knock on her bedroom the door. "Blake," said her mother. "Breakfast is ready. Could you see if Yang would like to join us?"

Blake moved to the door, opening it. She smiled at her mother. "Sure." Blake moved past her mother and down the hall to the guest room. She stopped in front of the door, knocked lightly, and waited a moment to speak. "May I come in? It's Blake."

After another moment of waiting, and wondering if she should knock again, an answer came. "Come in."

Blake opened the door and smiled at Yang, who was lying in bed, still looking sleepy. "Good morning," said Blake. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Blake then thought to add, "it's fish."

Yang was silent for a moment before speaking. Blake thought that she was probably considering whether she was hungry or just wanted to sleep in. Blake could empathize, she never wanted to wake up if she could help it. Five more minutes, always.

Yang closed and opened the clawed fingers of her dragon arm, running her other hand across the scales. "This is weird, but it doesn't feel as weird as I thought it would. It feels like my arm."

"I think it looks neat," said Blake, smiling. She was pleasantly surprised when Yang smiled back at her. She had a nice smile. They stood smiling at each other for a while before Blake remembered why she'd come into the room. "Right. Will you join us for breakfast?"

"If you don't mind," replied Yang.

"Of course not," said Blake's father from behind her. She turned to see him, entering the room with a friendly smile on his face. He looked down at Blake. "Your mother felt you were taking too long and sent me to get you."

Blake pouted in annoyance. "I had it."

The light trill of laughter drew Blake and her father's attention back to Yang. She saw them staring and brought her laughter under control. "You sound like my uncle Qrow being told by my father he was taking too long in getting me and Ruby," explained Yang. Her expression became sad. "I hope they're all okay…"

"I'm sure they are," said Blake's father comfortingly. "And we'll reunite you with them soon enough. For now, you should just worry about getting your strength back. You've been resting for a long time. Come, join us."

Yang nodded, wiping away the start of some tears from her eyes with her human arm. "Ok."

* * *

Breakfast went by quickly and Blake didn't remember ever having as much fun at a meal. Conversation had been a little slow to start as everyone reintroduced themselves to each other and clarified some things. There'd been a lull after the pleasantries, and praise for the food, and Blake hadn't been sure what to say. Luckily, her mother had stepped in and started talking about some of Blake's favorite stories. Blake had joined in, correcting her mother on some details she got wrong, and was happy when Yang joined in the conversation as well. She had apparently read a lot of different fairy tales as well. Several were different, more popular with humans than among the Faunus, but they had many similar stories they could relate with. Yang apparently did most of her reading aloud to her younger sister Ruby, who loved books and stories. Blake's mother even promised to read them a story later in the day if they behaved themselves.

After breakfast, her parents had work they needed to do. The doctor came around again to examine Yang. Blake had been allowed to sit in for the check-up, talking excitedly to Yang about their favorite stories as the doctor went about her examination, occasionally asking for brief silence or asking Yang questions. One of the questions had been whether Yang had any Faunus in her family bloodline, but Yang had just shaken her head, saying she didn't think so and that everyone in her family was human.

When the doctor was done she had told Yang that she was perfectly healthy and had a surprisingly strong aura for someone her age. Yang had asked about her arm, but the doctor had been unable to explain it and said that the scales and claws seemed to _be_ her arm, and not just growing around it.

The examination had taken quite a while, but Blake and Yang's discussions had kept both distracted. They hadn't noticed as the doctor quietly consulted with her parents, alternating looks of concern and confusion on their faces.

After being told they were free to play, the two girls had gone outside, Blake showing Yang around Menagerie. Blake's parents had given them permission to do so but had also told them to tell everyone that Yang was a dragon Faunus if they were asked.

Blake had nodded at the command, knowing that humans weren't liked very much currently. She didn't know why exactly, but she knew that people had been very angry recently, and that whatever it was, her parents were protesting it with the White Fang. Blake had told Yang how excited she was to be going to her first White Fang rally in a little over a week. She even invited Yang to join her. The rally would be on the mainland and maybe they could find her family there? Yang had looked confused to be told to identify as a Faunus and had asked what the rally was for but had also agreed to join Blake for it.

Yang had spent a large amount of time surprised by everything she saw. She had also grown up on an island, but her island was much different. The climate, the types of tress, the look of the ocean (and its temperature, Yang had been surprised to realize Menagerie's ocean was warm), and even the sounds of the wild life.

Menagerie was also home to many, many more people living closer together than Patch. Blake was amused at how wide Yang's eyes were as she stared and commented on all the different varieties of Faunus were moving and going about their lives in and around town. She'd pointed to each new type and tried to identify them, asking Blake for clarification. Blake had been proud to be the expert on the subject and know what every type of Faunus they saw was.

Many of the people they saw had stopped to greet Blake and to ask who her friend was. Yang had introduced herself, somewhat shyly at first, as Yang Xaio Long, Dragon Faunus. When pressed, Blake had told people Yang had gotten separated from her family and was staying with her family until they found them. Everyone they talked to seemed satisfied by these answers. A few had ruffled her hair and called Yang brave, a few had shed some tears at the sad story, and everyone had wished her good luck in finding her family.

Blake was slightly surprised to see tears in Yang's eyes as they walked back home after several hours out. She'd worriedly asking Yang if she was okay.

"I've never met so many Faunus before," said Yang, sniffling, and wiping away the tears with her sleeve. "Only one or two who are friends with my father or uncle. Hunters on business. Everyone here is so nice."

Blake had nodded. "Yes, they are."

Yang had looked at her. "You and your family are so nice too."

Blake had blushed slightly at the compliment. "We're just trying to help."

Yang shook her head. "You saved me. I'll never forget that."

"I just hope we can find your family soon," said Blake, although, deep down a small part of her wanted to spend more time playing with and learning about this strange girl from a mysterious land and culture. The quicker they found her family, the less time they'd have together. She'd have to leave, and Blake didn't want that. But she also knew that if she was separated from her family she'd be sad and missing them. Whether she wanted to or not, she'd get Yang home as soon as possible.

* * *

Qrow strode confidently into the camp. Bandits glared at him from their places around the camp. Some even peeking out from tents to get a look. Most everyone had a hand on a weapon. Some who didn't recognize him, and some who did, looked unsure about how to react to him. A few odd cases even smiled or waved at him. Qrow recognized those who did, and he waved lazily back. He didn't return their smiles though. He was on a mission and not looking forward to the conversation he was about to have. It was necessary to have if he wanted to find Yang, but he still wasn't excited about it.

"What are _you_ doing here?" asked a voice. Qrow looked over and saw his sister Raven coming out of a large tent. The chieftain's tent. Her tent. She glared at him, hand on the hilt of her sword.

He smirked at her, finding himself amused by the situation. "That's one heck of a greeting for your brother," he said dryly. "No traditional tribal hospitality for the returning son?"

"Unless you've come to forsake Ozpin and once again take up a position in the tribe, then you're no son of ours. Are you here to do so?"

Qrow shook his head. "I'm not here for any of that. But I do still need to talk to you."

"I'm not talking to a dog of Ozpin's," said Raven.

"I'm not here for Ozpin!" yelled Qrow angrily. Raven looked surprised at that, her eyes narrowing as he continued to speak. "I'm here because of Yang."

"I'm not returning to Patch," replied Raven. "Unless you're here to tell me that Tai is willing to let me raise her here, among the tribe, then we don't have anything to discuss about my daughter."

"That's not what I was talking about," growled Qrow. "She's gone missing. Yang went looking for clues, clues about _you_. There was an incident with some Grimm. She got attacked. When I got there the Grimm were dying and Ruby was alone in a clearing. There was no sign of Yang."

"She's not dead," said Raven with surety. "I would've felt it if she was. So that means you lost her and spent what had to be a long time trying to find me instead of looking for her?"

"There was no trace of her anywhere on Patch," replied Qrow. "I searched everywhere, and you know how good I am at tracking. If she was there, I would've found her."

"So you want me to fix your mistake and use my semblance to find her," said Raven, her eyes narrowing in understanding.

"I figured even you would've reacted if she'd been killed. And since you didn't hunt me down or react to her being in grave peril, that means she has to be alive and well. It also means something strange happened."

"Or a kidnapping."

"One of us would've heard by now if it was a kidnapping. No, something else happened. And I plan to figure out what, but first, I want you to take me to Yang so that I can take her home to Patch." His voice became pleading. "You're still her mother, and my sister, please, help me find her."

Raven thought for a moment and gave a sigh. "Fine, I'll find her." She closed her eyes and Qrow knew she was focusing, thinking about where Yang was and how she was doing. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "What is this…" she muttered.

"What?" asked Qrow, growing concerned. "What is it?"

"Yang," said Raven. "She's in Menagerie."

Qrow shook his head. "That's not possible. It makes no sense."

"No, it doesn't," agreed Raven. She drew her sword quickly, slashing it through the air and opened a flowing red vortex in front of her. She sheathed her sword and gestured to the portal. "But I intend to make it make sense. Come "dear brother", let's find my daughter."

* * *

Blake and Yang sat together in her parent's study, looking at maps. They had spread out a large world map of Remnant over her father's massive hard wood desk. They stood on chairs to help them to be able to look and point at points on the map. Blake pointed to one small shape on the map. "This is Menagerie," she said, fascinated to find her home. When like this, is looked so small compared to the larger continents that were laid out on the map.

On the other side of the large map, Yang was running her finger over the blue water until she found what she was looking for and gave a small cheer of victory. "And this is Patch," she said excitedly. She looked over at Menagerie and then at Patch again. "It's so much smaller."

"And it's so far away," marveled Blake. Patch and Menagerie looked to be as far away from each other as much as they could possibly be. 'You flew a long way here."

"I did," agreed Yang, the actual distance she'd traveled finally seeming to hit her.

It had been a week since Yang had woken up. Yang and Blake had spent most of the time together; talking about their families, discussing the stories they'd read or heard, and hearing new stories from Blake's mother. That first night she'd told them the story of "The Four Maidens". A dragon, a wolf, a bird, and a cat visited an old man and in assisting him they were given great gifts. Blake had been surprised to here that Yang had heard a similar story but that the details were apparently very different. In her version four human girls visited an old man, assisted him in different ways than the animal version and were given great powers. They'd spent a whole day just discussing the two stories.

Today they'd been given permission to use Blake's father's study and maps. Her parents were finalizing the plans to travel to the mainland for a string of recruitments, meetings, rallies, and protests for the White Fang. Blake and Yang had already looked at all the points on the map that they were planned to travel to. Blake moved her hand from Menagerie to the city of Vale, the point closet to Patch that they were planned to go to. "And this is where we can take you home to Patch."

Yang looked at where she was pointing. "When are we visiting Vale?" she asked, trying to remember the itinerary that Blake's parents had discussed with them the night before.

Blake thought for a moment. "I think it will be a month from now? We need to travel a far way."

"And stop off for White Fang business along the way," said Yang. She gave a sigh. "I wish we could travel there faster."

"I'm sorry," said Blake.

Yang looked at her and smiled. "Don't be. You can't help it. Your family has been so nice to me."

"You're welcome," said Blake, returning the smile.

Yang's gaze moved from Blake and fell on a large blue flag with a white wolf head that was hanging on one of the walls. "That's an interesting design."

Blake nodded. "It is. My father said it was to make a point."

"What point?" asked Yang.

"I'm not sure," admitted Blake. "He says that Faunus like us aren't always treated nicely by humans, so we need a 'symbol' like that flag. To prove something to humans."

Yang looked back at Blake, a sad expression on her face. "I wouldn't treat Faunus like that. I wouldn't treat you like that. Ever."

Blake reached out and put her hand on top of Yang's. "I know."

Yang glanced at the symbol again. "I like it."

"Same."

They sat in silence for several minutes, just looking at the flag and each other. The silence was broken suddenly by a loud noise unlike any Blake had ever heard. A swirling, glowing red hole was ripped open in front of the two girls, causing both of them to cry out in fright. Two figures, a man and a woman, appeared out of the portal, stepping through it into the room. They were both human, weapons in hand.

"Uncle Qrow," yelled Yang excitedly. Blake looked between Yang and the man in surprise.

The man smiled at Yang. "Hey there fire cracker," he said. "How's it going?"

Yang didn't respond. Instead, her gaze fell on the woman. "Mom?" she said, almost whispering the word. The woman didn't make eye contact with Yang, instead she looked around the room, hand on her weapon.

Before anything else could be said, Blake's father came bursting into the room. "Blake," he said, sounding concerned. "I heard screamin-" He stopped what he was saying when he caught sight of the two humans. He frowned. "What are you two doing in my home?" he said harshly.

"We-," started the man who Yang had called "uncle Qrow". He was cut off by the woman.

"We're here for the girl," she said simply, pulling out her weapon. "You don't have a say in the matter."

"Yes, I do," said Blake's father, claws extending from his hands. "You're not taking her from here. Get out of my home, now."

Blake watched as the woman swiftly leapt across the room to attack her father. The swing of her blade was interrupted by Qrow's weapon getting between her weapon and her target.

Blake's father took that opportunity to swipe at the woman with his claws. He hit her, and she was knocked backwards into Qrow, causing them to fall in a tangle on the floor.

The woman glared at Qrow. "What are you doing Qrow?" she asked.

"What am _I_ doing?" asked Qrow. "What are _you_ doing? You can't just _attack_ people Raven."

Blake's father moved carefully towards the pair, ready to attack again. Raven tried to stand, but Qrow had an arm around her, keeping her on the ground.

"Calm down," said Qrow, looking between Raven and Blake's father. "I think we have a bit of a misunderstanding here."

"You asked me for help in getting my daughter back," said Raven. "I'm here to do that."

"Daughter?" asked Blake's father. He looked over at Yang. "Do you mean Yang?"

"Yes," replied Qrow before Raven could say anything. "I'm Yang's uncle. This is her mother."

"How did you two get in here?" asked Blake's father, his ears twitching slightly.

"It's complicated," said Qrow. "Can we just all put away weapons, sit down and talk about this?"

"You attacked first," pointed out Blake's father.

"And I apologize for that," said Qrow. "Look, we've been very worried about Yang for weeks and we're a little on edge."

Blake's father looked at Yang. "Do you know these two?"

Yang nodded slowly. "That's my uncle."

Blake's father retracted his claws and relaxed his posture. His expression was still critical and displeased. "It seems you do know each other. Stand, put away your weapons and then we can discuss this. My daughter found this girl in danger and she's been my charge. Once we put together the pieces, then we can decide how to move forward."

Sounds good," said Qrow. He loosened his grip around Raven and she stood up and sheathed her sword at her waist. Qrow also stood, attaching his sword to a strap on his back. "So, are we talking in here?"

"No," said Blake's father, shaking his head. He looked to Blake and Yang. "You two leave the room first. Go to the meeting table."

Blake nodded in understanding. She reached out without thinking and took Yang's dragon hand. She led the other girl out of the room. As she did, she caught a quick flash of surprise pass across the two human's faces. Yang didn't say anything as Blake led her past Blake's mother who had been listening from the doorway. They sat down together on one of the couches around the meeting table. When Blake looked over at her, Yang's expression was like what her parents had when they were thinking really hard about something. Blake squeezed her hand lightly, drawing her attention and a look of surprise. She smiled in a way that she hoped was comforting.

It seemed to work, because Yang smiled back at her. "Thank you," she said.

Blake's parents came into the room and gestured to one of the couches around the table. "Take a seat," said Blake's father, taking a seat with Blake's mother at one of the couches. The two humans sat down at the couch across from her parents. There were now adults to either side of the girls. Blake's father glared at the humans. "Now, you will start from the beginning. Introduce yourselves."

"I'm Qrow Branwen," said the man, gesturing to himself. "This is my sister, Raven Branwen. She's Yang's mother. I'm her uncle."

Blake's father nodded slowly. "I see." He glanced over at Yang for a moment then back to the humans. "How did you get in here without anyone noticing?"

"We don't need to answer that," said Raven.

Blake's father frowned. "I think you're misunderstanding your situation right now. You _need_ to answer all of my questions quickly and honestly. I'm Ghira Belladonna, chieftain of Menagerie and leader of the White Fang. You trespassed into my home, on our land. Since you're clearly not ambassadors from any of the kingdoms that means you've breached several laws and treaties by being here. You're now criminals and we have the right to deal with you as we want."

Qrow held up a hand. "I'm sorry for all of this," he said, glaring at Raven to silence her before she spoke again. "We didn't mean to trespass. Like I said before, Yang has been missing for weeks and we've been worried sick looking for her. Honestly, I'm surprised she's here."

"Explain everything," said Blake's father.

Qrow sighed deeply. "I'm not proud of it, but Yang went into the woods and I realized it too late. I went to save her, but she was attacked by some Grimm. At least, I think that's what happened. I saw a flash of light. By the time I got to the spot she was gone, and so were the Grimm."

"Ruby?" asked Yang, drawing surprised glances from the adults. "How is Ruby?"

Qrow flashed her a confident smile. "She's doing fine," he said. "Worried about her older sister, but safe. She was sleeping quietly in that wagon when I got there."

"That's good," said Yang, suddenly bursting into tears. Blake pulled her into a hug and the blonde girl cried into her shirt for a few minutes, eventually tapering off into light gasps as she slowly got control of herself.

Once she'd calmed down a bit, Blake's father spoke. "So, she disappeared in a light? When?"

"Two weeks ago," replied Qrow.

Blake's father nodded. "Two weeks ago, my daughter Blake found Yang floating in the ocean. As she told me the story, Yang fell from the sky in a golden light. I thought she was being dramatic, but if you're telling the truth, then it might not be that far-fetched."

"She somehow got to Menagerie from Patch in mere moments," said Qrow, thinking. "Not even an airship could make the trip that fast."

"What did you do to her arm?" asked Raven, glaring at Blake's father.

"Her arm was like that when I found her," said Blake, drawing the adults attention. "She was sleeping, and I thought she was a dragon Faunus. She slept for many days."

"She's human," said Qrow. "Something like that is strange."

"This is probably Ozpin's meddling," said Raven. Qrow glared at her.

"Ozpin's a good man," he growled. "Don't you dare badmouth him."

"Regardless of the arm," interrupted Blake's Father. "There's still the question of how you two got in here."

Qrow gestured to Raven. "Her semblance allows her to open a portal to people she has a connection with," said Qrow. "I knew Yang wasn't on Patch, so I found her, and she was able to take us right to Yang."

"You can visit at any time?" asked Yang, her eyes still red from crying.

"I can," said Raven emotionlessly.

Yang's right hand tightened its grip on Blake's. "You could have visited at any time," said Yang, her voice breaking. Tears started to form in her eyes again. "I went looking for you. I wanted to find you. That's why I was in the forest. That's why I put Ruby in danger. You could have been home at any time, but you weren't!"

"I have my reasons," said Raven. "A child wouldn't understand."

"I just wanted to see you!" yelled Yang. She started to sob. "I just wanted to see you…"

Blake held Yang closer to her and glared at Raven. The woman didn't respond to the expression. Qrow spoke up addressing Blake's parents. "I'm sorry for all of this. We'll take Yang and be heading home."

Blake's father was silent for a moment, thinking. Then, he surprised Blake and the humans by growling and slamming his fist on the table loudly. "What makes you think I'd allow a child to go back to a family like yours?"

Qrow had a look of shock on his face. "What are you talking about?"

Blake's father pointed to Raven. "This woman is a disgrace as a mother. Yang has been my charge for these past weeks and I'd be irresponsible if I returned her to you."

"I won't be taking Yang," replied Raven. "I'm just along to bring Qrow to Yang and then to bring both back to Yang's father. You call me a disgrace of a mother, but I don't plan on being this girl's mother. I have other duties that need me. You're a chieftain for your people, I'm one for mine. Those responsibilities take precedence over anything else. As a leader, I'm sure you understand my responsibilities."

Blake's father nodded. "I understand your responsibilities. But I disagree with your decisions." He looked at Qrow. "And what makes you any better? She was in your custody when this danger struck. It seems only strange luck saved her and sent her here."

Qrow didn't break gaze with her father but Blake noticed that his fist was clenched at his side. "I'm sorry for what happened, and you can't imagine how grateful I am that Yang is safe. That you took care of her is appreciated, but her father loves her, and so does her sister. It's my responsibility to return her home, to the people who love her and miss her."

"It wasn't uncle Qrow's fault," said Yang, drawing surprised looks from everyone. "I went off on my own. They told me to never do that. I didn't listen. I'm sorry."

Qrow leaned towards Yang, reaching out a hand and putting it on her knee. "It's not your fault. Ruby is fine. You're fine. We can all go home."

"Can we?" asked Yang, sniffling slightly.

Blake and Qrow both looked questioningly at her father. He sighed. "I understand, accidents happen. If this woman isn't involved, then I can allow Yang to return with you."

Qrow let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for taking care of her." He looked over at Blake. "Thanks for saving her."

Blake blushed at the thanks. "You're welcome," she replied softly.

"Are you going to leave now?" asked Blake's mother.

Qrow nodded. "We should. Don't want to overstay our welcome. Plus, I know two very worried people who are looking forward to seeing Yang again."

"How long will it take to get home?" asked Yang.

"Instantly," replied Raven. "I can take us directly to your father." Blake noticed Raven glancing at her for a brief moment before looking back at Yang. "So, thank them, say your good byes and we can go."

Yang nodded. She got off the couch, walked past Blake to her parents and held out her hand. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Blake's father chuckled and took Yang's small hand in his large one, shaking lightly. "You're welcome, little one. If you ever want to visit Blake again, you have my permission. Just, please send us some warning next time."

"I will," replied Yang seriously. She turned to Blake's mother, who smiled at her and held her arms out wide. Yang hesitated for a moment but then hugged her tightly. "Thank you for the stories."

"Stay safe," said Blake's mother.

When the two were done hugging, Yang turned to Blake. Blake got off the couch and stood in front of the other girl awkwardly, wondering what she should say. Yang managed to speak first.

"I'm going to get taller than you," she declared suddenly, a serious look on her face.

Blake was stunned by the declaration for a moment, but soon found herself laughing. "Hahahaha." Yang frowned at her. "Has that been bothering you?" asked Blake with a sly smile.

"A little," admitted Yang. Then she smiled. "I'm going to miss sharing stories."

"We can write to each other," said Blake. "And maybe we'll be able to visit when we're near Patch?"

"I'll try to visit you too," said Yang. They were silent again for a moment before Yang reached out and pulled Blake into a sudden hug. "Thank you."

Blake returned the hug, smiling. "See you again."

The two girls separated, and Blake stood next to her parents while Yang stood next to her uncle. Yang's mother pulled out her sword and slashed it through the air, creating a rippling, glowing red tear to appear in front of her. She gestured to it. "This will take us to Tai. Let's go."

Yang nodded but looked back once more at Blake. She smiled sadly at her, gave a little wave and then followed her Uncle through the tear. Once they were through, Raven followed, the tear disappearing behind her.

* * *

Yang and Qrow walked out of the red void to the familiar sight of her home. Tears started to run down her face. Qrow put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're home now, little firecracker," he said.

Yang nodded. "Yes, I am." She noticed her mother standing next to her, a neutral expression on her face. Yang wasn't sure what to say to her, the woman she'd been searching for this whole time. She'd hoped for nice, comforting words, but she didn't think she was going to get any. She still wanted them though.

"I've got you both home now," said Raven.

Qrow nodded. "You going to take your leave or come and say hello?"

"More needs to be said than 'hello' between Tai and I," replied Raven sadly. "I don't have the time to do so."

Her words were curt, but Yang thought there was more to it than what was being said. Raven looked down at Yang. She knelt so that they were eye to eye. Her neutral expression broke but Yang couldn't quite figure out what emotion she was seeing. "I… I'm glad to see you unharmed," said her mother. "I'm sorry that my disappearance led you into danger, but do not continue to seek me."

"Why?" asked Yang, feeling hurt once more.

"There's more going on than you could understand right now," replied her mother. "When you're older, then if you come I will explain, but right now, I have duties and responsibilities I need to tend to. I don't have the time, or the ability to care for a child." Her expression softened. "You'll be happier here, with people who can care for you and give you the attention you deserve."

Yang her a door open and heard the surprised yell of her father. "Yang!" Yang saw her father, a shocked expression on his face. She heard a whistling noise and turned back to her mother to see that another tear had been opened up, her mother standing half in it. She looked back over her should at Yang.

"I love you," said her mother. "Stay safe." Then she was, gone, the tear closing behind her.

Yang barely had time to turn around before her father was scooping her up into the air and hugging her tightly to him. "Yang!" he cried once more. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried."

Yang got her arms free and hugged her father around his neck with both her human and dragon arms. "I'm home," she said, crying once more.

"Welcome home," said her father.


End file.
